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Three years ago in a galaxy really rather close, Disney optioned to purchase Lucasfilm and its remaining assets on this very day for an eye-watering $4.05 billion, laying out the early groundwork for a whole new take on the Star Wars universe. After deliberation over casting, timelines and what the sequel would be called, we’ve now arrived within two months of the release of J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and excitement is beginning to reach fever-pitch.

And so, with the final – yes, final – full-length trailer out in the ether, the cast and crew are beginning to talk more about the much-anticipated galactic sequel, and it’s hardly surprising that it’s all overly positive.

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Yes, while it’s natural for actors to trumpet their upcoming release, Harrison Ford himself piqued the collective interest of the Star Wars faithful upon appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Much to the surprise of no one, the actor was forced to dance around plot details, but he did have high praise for The Force Awakens, even going so far as to say that not only are the newcomers – Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac and Adam Driver – “phenomenal,” but J.J. Abrams has crated an “incredible” movie.

“Why would you want to say anything? I want the audience to experience it. I don’t want them to hear about it. I can tell you this. It’s really, really good,” said Ford. “Trust me, it’s really good. The new cast… Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Adam Driver, and Oscar Isaac are phenomenal. J.J. has made an incredible movie. You will not be disappointed at all. I promise you.”

But is it true, all of it? Even if Ford’s comments border on hyperbole, box office forecasts for Star Wars: The Force Awakens showcase the early signs of a winter juggernaut – one that is finely positioned to knock Avatar from its opulent $2.7 billion perch once and for all.

Aside from setting records in the box office, The Force Awakens will also herald a franchise first in the form of Gwendoline Christie’s Captain Phasma, who is poised to be the first female baddie in the prestigious galaxy far, far away. Did the Game of Thrones star feel the pressure of the role? Absolutely not; rather, she welcomed the film’s pragmatic treatment of its female elite Stormtrooper.

“We know very little about her at this stage, but what I think people are drawn to is that this is a very progressive female character,” the actress says. “We see Captain Phasma, and we see the costume from head to toe, and we know that it is a woman. But we are used to, in our media, connecting to female characters via the way that they look, from the way they are made flesh.”